Semper Fi
by Jenny wrens
Summary: Continuation of the story "The Interruption." The next day, Gibbs is faced with trying to pick up the pieces of his blunder with Aimee. Between trying to convince Janessa not to follow Aimee on her nighttime escapades and dealing with Aimee's spicy temper, Gibbs has his work cut out for him. Some creative parenting mixed with a little ingenuity might be just what he needs.


**Hey Readers,**

 **Here's the part two to the story "The Interruption." as so many of you felt like I left it unfinished. :)**

 **Enjoy!**

 **I am having too much fun torturing Gibbs with Aimee's spunky personality. LOL**

Gibbs closed his bedroom door firmly, breathing deeply to calm down. Going ten rounds with Aimee was exhausting on a good day, and today wasn't one of his best days. He was tired, fighting a cold and stressed out from work. The last thing he'd needed was another trying altercation with his beloved soon to be adopted daughter, Aimee. The kid was his mini-me, stubborn and obstinate beyond words. Anytime they had a confrontation, more times than not, the kid would take off dragging her younger sister, Janessa, with her. It didn't matter the time of day or night either; if Aimee was ticked off, she would take off. Thankfully, she was intelligent enough to seek refuge with one of his team. He was grateful for that. And he was grateful his team were such great people he could count on, who did their damnedest to convince Aimee to call home.

He grabbed a tissue from the side table in the hallway and blew his nose, cursing his frail humanity and the propensity he had to get run down and catch something as annoying as a stupid cold. As he sat at the top of the stairs, he allowed himself a few moments to feel sorry for himself. He stuffed the tissue in his jean pocket and rubbed his temples. Gibbs felt that he was a patient man for the most part, especially when it came to children. Kids held a special place in his heart and always would. Aimee and Janessa had managed to steal his heart completely, and he had no regrets about that at all. He loved that he was a father again. He'd been given a second chance that people rarely got in life. The girls brought out the best and the worst in him. Of course, lately, with Aimee, it seemed the worst in him was winning by a landslide.

Recently when Aimee had nearly burned the house down while using his heat gun in the basement, he'd most certainly blown it. He was proud to say he hadn't lost his temper completely but enough that he hadn't used proper discernment. He'd tried many discipline methods with the girl including warning swats but to full out spank her, well, that hadn't been his game plan when he'd first tried speaking with her. Unfortunately, it was where things had ended before he'd even had a chance to think it through. He'd lost his head in a heated moment and reacted out of frustration. It hadn't ended up being a good choice. While he still believed that tool of discipline had merit in child-rearing, his use and delivery had been poorly implemented. He'd reacted out of sheer frustration, and he regretted it. He knew he needed to be proactive, but what that looked like with Aimee was somehow escaping him. Her outbursts and reactionary responses left him at a loss more times than not.

"Hey, Gibbs."

Gibbs looked up to see the oldest daughter of his heart looking down at him with her own look of concern.

"Hey, Abbs."

Abby joined him on the top step, and Gibbs pulled her in for a hug which she melted into within moments of sitting down.

"How'd things go with Aimee?"

Almost as if on cue, a huge crash was heard coming from Gibbs room. Gibbs went to stand up but Abby pulled on his arm to keep him sitting.

"Don't," she said softly.

Gibbs scowled. "That sounds like my desk lamp," he protested.

"She wants you to react, Gibbs. She's instigating a response and you keep giving her one. Just ignore her for now. She will calm down."

Gibbs sighed and sat down.

"You look beat?"

Gibbs frowned at her. "Thanks a lot, Abby."

Abby chuckled. "I didn't mean it that way. I just meant you look like you're worn out. Are you feeling alright?"

Gibbs waved a dismissive hand. "Got a cold coming on. Nothing serious."

Abby kissed his cheek lovingly. "Things will get better, Gibbs."

Gibbs scoffed. "I dunno about that. I've tried so many different things with her but nothing seems to work. And when I really put my foot down, she runs away and takes Janessa with her. It's like I'm caught in the middle of a really messy divorce and poor Janessa is the pawn."

"Yeah, I've noticed that. Why do you think Janessa always goes with her?"

Gibbs shrugged. "I don't think Janessa feels like she has any other choice."

"Everyone has a choice, Gibbs. She might be five years old but Ness has a mind and will of her own. Like when she wants ice cream, she will pull every trick in the book to get it. That has nothing to do with Aimee."

Gibbs smirked at the mention of Janessa and ice cream. The little girl became a monster if she didn't get ice cream when she wanted it. She lived up to her Loch Ness Monster nickname when she was denied the icy treat.

"If you can't get Aimee to stop this running away business, maybe go after the weaker link."

Gibbs sneezed a few times causing Abby to grimace and pull away. "Sorry," he said reaching for his tissue again. "You probably shouldn't be so close; you're going to catch my cold."

Abby shrugged in unconcern. "Nah, I don't catch colds. Oil of oregano, Vitamin C, and D are your friends, Gibbs. Try it."

Gibbs blew his nose again and frowned at her.

Abby smiled in return. "Talk to Nessie and convince her not to go with Aimee. That might take the wind out of her sails. I tend to think she'd be less apt to take off if Ness refuses to play along."

Gibbs scrubbed a hand across his face as he mulled over Abby's words. It was good advice. He'd thought about it himself a few times. He'd caught himself several times wanting to reprimand Janessa for going along with Aimee's harebrained schemes, but he'd always felt sorry for the little girl. He knew Aimee could be very convincing. However, he doubted that, if push came to shove, Aimee would bodily force Janessa to go along. Janessa just seemed to cheerfully tag along seeing each time as a new adventure.

"You may have a point there, Abbs." Gibbs sneezed again.

Abby grinned as she rose to her feet and grabbed the tissue box from the side table.

"Oil of Oregano and raw garlic, Gibbs."

He grimaced but accepted the tissue box. Abby smiled at him again and made her way past him down the stairs. Just as she reached the foot of the steps, she turned and looked up at him.

"Feel free to take a nap in my room, Gibbs. Things will look brighter after a couple hours of sleep." With those final words, Abby disappeared around the corner.

Gibbs stood to his feet and went to his bedroom door. He pressed his ear against it and could hear faint sniffling sounds coming from inside. He'd only told Aimee to sit and calm down. He hadn't disciplined her or anything like that. Her temper hadn't allowed him much in the way of words anyway. He hoped that she would calm down and possibly have a nap herself. Her emotions were big normally, but when she felt she was in trouble with him, her reactions were monumental. Giving her time alone was the only thing he could think of to help. Holding her and talking sense to her worked sometimes too but he had to be careful he didn't over stimulate her causing a worse reaction. He wanted her to be calm before they had a heart to heart about recent events.

Gibbs looked down the hallway towards Abby's room. He didn't relish entering it. To be honest, her room gave him nightmares. While he understood and accepted his Goth daughter, he didn't enjoy or appreciate her taste in music or her choice of interior decorating. Abby was tidy but she was morbid. He couldn't stomach it, nor could he close his eyes to it so he did his best to avoid it, although, he was willing to be supportive. He did help her build a coffin once upon a time.

Walking down the hallway, he purposely walked past Abby's room and walked towards Janessa and Aimee's room. He couldn't resist the urge of peeking in on his youngest girl. He stole a look in the room to see the little girl fast asleep on the floor surrounded by stuffed animals. It had been a late evening the night before, so it didn't surprise him that the youngster had needed a nap. Gibbs carefully picked her up and set her down on her bed, covering her up. Mid-afternoon on a Saturday felt like a good time to take a nap, so Gibbs found himself drawn to Aimee's bed. He lied down and within minutes fell fast asleep.

XxXxXxX

Gibbs' eyes fluttered as he felt something wet touch his face. He blinked a few times and opened his eyes to see Janessa patting his cheek. He sat up and scrubbed at his face to help wake himself up. He was surprised how much the nap had helped him feel better.

"Why are your hands wet?" he asked groggily.

"They was in my mouth," she replied putting her fingers back in her mouth.

Gibbs stifled a yawn. "Why are they in your mouth?"

"I bit my tongue," came the reply.

Gibbs blinked a few times to clear the cobwebs from his brain and he noticed tears swimming in the little girl's eyes. He sat up more and pulled her onto his lap. He pulled her hand out of her mouth.

"Let me see, Ness."

Sure enough, the small girl had managed to bite a nasty hole in her tongue.

"Aw, that must hurt." He acknowledged.

The little girl nodded and put her finger back in her mouth. Gibbs reached for the glass of water on the nightstand and handed it to her but she shook her head.

"That's bedtime water, Mr., Gibbs."

"It's just water, honey, and it will help take the sting out."

Janessa shook her head. "Nuh uh. Bedtime water makes you sleepy and I just wakes up. You was snoring, Mr. Gibbs."

Gibbs smirked and pulled her in for a hug. "Do you need me to get you some after nap water?"

Janessa shook her head and swiped at her eyes. "I'd rather have after nap ice cream."

Gibbs laughed and kissed the top of her head. He wasn't even going to go there with Janessa. He wasn't in the mood for an ice cream fight because the way he was feeling, he would lose by a landslide.

"Why are you sleeping in Aimee's bed, daddy?" she mumbled with her fingers still in her mouth.

Gibbs wrapped his arms around her and yawned. "I was sleepy and Aimee's bed looked comfy so I climbed in and guess what?"

"What?"

"Her bed is very comfy."

Janessa giggled, pulling her fingers out of her mouth. "That's cuz we jump on the bed…" Janessa stopped and clamped a hand over her mouth with wide eyes.

Gibbs cradled her sideways and looked into her mischievous sparkling eyes. "You do?"

Janessa giggled under her hand.

"Looks like someone needs some tickle torture!" Gibbs raised his hands up in the air and started to tickle Janessa gently while she squirmed and kicked her legs. Gibbs couldn't help laughing as the little girl tried desperately to escape his lap.

"Stop, Daddy, stop!" squealed Janessa, giggling so hard that she was gasping for air.

Gibbs stopped and helped her sit up once again. Janessa's face was red from laughter and soon her giggles turned into hiccups.

Tears trickled down Janessa's cheeks as she stared at him.

Gibbs laughed again, abandoning all hope of being taken seriously in that moment but thought he'd attempt some reasoning anyway. "Jumping on the bed is dangerous, you know. You could fall and break something."

"Cindy Harrison gots a trampoline. Can we get one too?"

Gibbs' eyes widened at the thought. "I'll have to think about that one."

He felt a tickle in his nose and he sneezed. Reaching for a fresh tissue, he blew his nose again.

"Bless you," said Nessie.

Gibbs sniffed and tucked the tissue in his pocket. "Thanks."

Janessa patted his cheek with an impish grin, her eyes sparkling. "Cover your mouth next time, Mr. Gibbs."

Gibbs chuckled at the reprimand and tossed a stuffed animal at her.

Janessa slid her feet to the floor, rescuing the toy as it missed her and fell to the floor.

"Daddy," she scolded with a stern look on her face. "Don't throw Max. He might get hurt."

Gibbs swung his feet to the floor and looked ashamed. "I'm very sorry, Max. I hope you will forgive me."

Janessa hugged the stuffed bear and glared at Gibbs. "Max says he needs a hug and kiss to feel better."

Gibbs took the bear, kissed its nose and hugged it gently before returning it back to Janessa. "Better?"

Janessa nodded, tucking the bear under her chin and squeezing him tight.

"Ness, can you and I have a little chat about last night?"

Janessa walked towards her table and chairs in the centre of the room and sat the stuffed teddy bear in one of the chairs.

"Max would like some ice cream."

Gibbs rolled his eyes. "Max can have some after supper if he doesn't jump on the bed."

Janessa drew her lip into a pout briefly before sitting in the opposite chair and starting to colour on some paper. "Tony was having a sleepover with his friend. They was wearing matching jammies, only she was wearing the top part and he was wearing the bottoms."

Gibbs bit his lip not to laugh at her comment. Kids were great for parroting back embarrassing details adults otherwise wished they'd forget.

"Nessie, why do you always go with Aimee when she runs away?"

"She's the big sister, and I gots to listen to her."

Gibbs crossed the room and sat down in one of the wooden child-size chairs. "What would happen if you said no to her?"

She shrugged. "I dunno."

"Running away at night is dangerous. You understand that, right?"

Janessa looked up in concern. "Are you gonna tickle me again?"

Gibbs chuckled. "Nope."

Janessa sighed in relief. "Good, cuz I almost peed my pants."

Gibbs laughed again and messed up her hair playfully. Janessa pushed her hair out of her eyes with a smirk and continued colouring.

"Nessie, I was very worried when I couldn't find you and Aimee last night." Gibbs sobered and allowed his voice to take on a more serious tone.

Janessa looked up at him with a concerned look on her face. "Aimee said you was very grouchy. Did you really spank her, daddy?"

Gibbs picked up a yellow crayon and drew a circle on the paper. "I don't believe that is any of your business, miss. Would you want me to discuss with other people how I punish you?"

Janessa shook her head.

"Aimee did a very dangerous thing, Ness. Doing something dangerous is almost always going to end with a trip over my knee." He paused for a minute to allow her some time to digest what he was saying. "But I want to talk about you right now, sweetie, not Aimee, okay?"

The little girl nodded and picked up another yellow crayon. "Is that a sun, Mr. Gibbs?"

He nodded and moved his hand so she could help him colour in his yellow circle.

"Janessa, I want you to say no to Aimee next time."

"But, I always go with her. We're sisters and sisters stay together."

"I know you're sisters, honey, but I'm your daddy, right?"

Janessa stopped colouring and looked at him with her big blue eyes. "Uh huh."

"So, who do you think knows best? Aimee or daddy?

Janessa looked into his eyes and hesitated a moment before saying, "I guess you, daddy."

Gibbs poked her on the tip of her nose. "You guess? Don't you know?"

Janessa giggled causing Gibbs to shake his head, wondering how much of the conversation was sinking in and how much was getting lost in her silliness.

"Is it safe to wander around by yourself at night?"

"I guess not."

"No guessing about it. It's not safe. Remember all those bad people who tried to hurt you and Aimee? Remember when those bad men snatched you and Abby right off the street? Aimee is being very naughty to make you run away with her. It's very dangerous for little girls to be out at night alone. Something bad might happen, and I don't want you or Aimee to get hurt. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"Yes, daddy."

Gibbs smiled and grabbed a black crayon from the table. "Good."

"What happens if I don't say no to Aimee?"

Gibbs considered her question for a moment realising that for once he did have her attention, and she was actually listening to him despite her silly antics.

Gibbs drew dark sunglasses on the sun. "Well, you might need to take a trip across my knee to help you remember to obey me," he said, allowing the threat to linger in the air casting a spirit of uncertainty in the room. He didn't think he would follow through with it, but if the thought of it would be a deterrent, he was willing to allow it to linger. "I think running away counts as doing something dangerous, don't you?"

Janessa's eyes grew wide as she looked from the sun to Gibbs. "I don't want a spanking, daddy."

Gibbs pulled her close to him for a hug. "Promise me you won't tag along with Aimee again and it won't be a problem."

"Will Aimee gets a spanking if she runs away?"

Gibbs nodded with a sad expression on his face. "Yes, she will because it's dangerous to run away."

Janessa chewed her bottom lip as she thought about his words. "Okay, I won't go with her."

Gibbs took a red crayon and drew a big happy face on the sun. "That's good to hear. See, even Mr. Sun is happy about that."

Janessa giggled and picked up a red crayon as well.

Gibbs watched as she drew a big bow on the sun's 'head. "Mrs. Sun likes red bows in her hair."

Gibbs laughed and kissed her cheek. "You're a rascal."

Janessa kissed him in return and then made a face. "Your face is picky, Mr. Gibbs!"

Gibbs stood up and stretched out his back. He picked up the small girl and rubbed his cheek against hers causing her to screech in protest.

"Let's go get a snack. I'm hungry enough to eat…"

"Ice cream!" shouted Janessa.

Gibbs rolled his eyes and carried her out of the room.

XXXX-XXXX

Later on that evening after supper, Gibbs decided it was as good a time as any to attempt another conversation with Aimee. He knew she'd taken a long nap and eaten a good supper with him, Abby and Janessa. Aimee had been very quiet, refusing to make eye contact with him or anyone else. It was clear that she was still angry. Her rest hadn't changed her demeanor much at all. Gibbs wanted to do what he could to have a positive, proactive talk with her about running away and apologise for reacting badly the day before. Abby sensed that Gibbs needed some one-on-one time with Aimee so she talked Janessa into baking cookies with her. It hadn't been a hard sell. Aimee quickly disappeared up the stairs after dinner, escaping before she could be roped into helping with clean up. Gibbs slipped down to the basement to grab his heat gun as an object lesson but was waylaid by some unfinished tasks. Time escaped him but eventually, he took the back entrance out of the basement, needing some fresh air, and rounded the house, entering the front door. Lost in his thoughts, he opened the front entrance and was surprised to bump right into Aimee and Janessa complete with backpacks, apparently on another running off adventure. Gibbs shook his head and sighed irritably. Janessa's eyes met his and an anxious expression flooded her face.

"Going someplace, girls?" His voice was stern letting them know he was not amused.

Aimee glared at him. "Anyplace but here!" she snapped.

Gibbs realised in that moment that those were the first words she'd spoken to him since earlier that day when he'd left her alone to calm down. He sighed again feeling discouraged. The time to calm down obviously had not cooled her ire. He closed the door behind him and locked the deadbolt. Gibbs did not feel the need to lock his door normally but since the girls moved in with him, he'd installed a bolt for safety. He looked at a sheepish-looking Janessa; her expression told him that she'd very much understood their earlier conversation and was worried about the fallout.

"Upstairs, both of you," he commanded and pointed towards the stairs.

Janessa turned to go but was stopped by Aimee who held fast to her hand.

"Stay," Aimee hissed at her then glared at Gibbs. "We don't have to listen to you."

Tears filled Janessa's eyes as she stood beside her sister, very much her hostage in that moment.

"Aimee, let your sister's hand go."

Aimee glowered at him. "NO!"

Gibbs set the heat gun down on the side table and reached out to free Janessa's hand. Aimee tightened her hold causing Janessa to cry out in pain.

"You're hurting her, Aimee, now let go!" demanded Gibbs, squatting down to see if Janessa's hand was alright.

Aimee let go, instantly looking remorseful. "I'm sorry, Nessie; are you okay?"

Janessa snatched her hand away, tears swimming in her eyes. Gibbs took a quick look to see her hand was red but otherwise unharmed. He winked at her kindly and kissed it better without thinking, immediately falling back into time when he'd done the same to Kelly when she'd injured herself. He then turned his attention to Aimee who had wrapped an arm around her sister as comfort. Gibbs gave Aimee a quick smile of assurance. He knew that Aimee did not want to see her little sister hurt any more than he did.

"The three of us need to have a chat about this constant running away." Gibbs took Aimee's hand in his. "And Aims, you and I need to talk privately as well. This constant battle isn't getting us anywhere. Would you agree?"

Aimee chewed her lip and looked away, unwilling to part take in any conversation with him. Gibbs sighed and stood up, taking both the girls hands and pulling them into the living room. The girls sat together in the chair and he took a seat on the coffee table in front of them. Janessa sucked on her bottom lip looking uncertain. Aimee crossed her arms in defiance. Gibbs scratched the back of his head and tried to hold back a sneeze. He didn't know what was worse, catching a cold or dealing with Aimee Percy.

"I want to make myself perfectly clear to both of you. This running away stops right now. It's dangerous, and I'm not going to allow it to continue. Do you understand me?"

Janessa nodded, clearly remembering their earlier discussion.

Aimee narrowed her eyes at him and refused to acknowledge him.

"And you," he said indicating Aimee by pointing at her with his finger, "Stop dragging Janessa along. You're getting her into trouble!"

"How?" she snapped, her eyes ablaze.

"Because I told her to say no to you and if she doesn't, I'm going to spank her! Is that what you want?"

Tears began to cascade down Janessa's cheeks but she sat quietly.

Aimee stood to her feet. "You're a bully!" she shouted.

"No, Aimee, I'm your daddy and what I say goes. You're being the bully. Stop dragging Janessa into things that don't concern her. If you're choosing to do something dangerous, don't involve your sister. You're supposed to help keep her safe."

Aimee stood glaring at him with her arms crossed but she remained quiet.

Gibbs turned his attention to Janessa. "Did you tell Aimee no?"

Janessa looked up at him and nodded her head up and down very quickly, tears still running down her cheeks. "I-I tells her no, daddy." Her voice was barely above a whisper.

Gibbs smiled at her, patting her knee gently to calm and comfort her. "Good job, kiddo. Why don't you go see if Abby is ready to make those cookies now, okay?"

Janessa scooted off the chair and threw herself into Gibbs' arms. Gibbs hugged her and kissed her head while from the corner of his eye, he could still see Aimee glaring at him. He tried to swallow down the apprehension building within him. Aimee was baffling him, and he was flying by the seat of his pants.

"I won't runs away no more, daddy," sniffled Janessa.

"That's good to hear, honey."

With one last look of sympathy cast towards her sister, Janessa ran off towards the kitchen.

Gibbs stood to his feet and began to walk from the room towards the front door only stopping to wave at Aimee.

"Don't just sit there; come on!" he beckoned softly.

As he turned to leave the room once more, he saw Aimee roll her eyes and mumble to herself as she got up to follow. Gibbs heard her ramblings but chose to ignore them. He could only deal with one thing at a time. Aimee had had nine years to develop her attitude and mannerisms. It would take more than a few months to change any bad ones. Gibbs walked towards his car and opened the passenger door, pausing to wait for Aimee to come outside and join him. Aimee's arms were still crossed and her body language screamed 'don't mess with me'. If Gibbs hadn't been so intent on thinking of a way to use a teachable moment, he might have better appreciated the nerve of the youngster. Aimee was confident and not easily intimidated. She was used to standing on her own two feet. Gibbs did not want to crush that fierce independence. He just wanted to temper it.

"Get in."

"Where are we going?"

"You'll find out when we get there; now, get in."

Aimee narrowed her eyes at him and refused to move.

Gibbs sighed. "Why do you question everything I say to you, Aimee? Can't you just obey me?"

Aimee continued to stare at him.

Gibbs leaned against the car and sighed deciding to change tactics. "One rule that I've always had with my team is never say you're sorry. Want to know why?"

Aimee didn't answer him but Gibbs could tell she was listening.

"It's more important to me that you learn why what you did was wrong and not repeat it than it is to just feel guilty about it and not change anything."

Aimee chewed on her lip.

"It would be easy for me to say sorry to you, but if I don't find a way to change how we relate as a father and a daughter than I will be doomed to repeat the same mistakes. And I will continue to feel bad and so will you."

Aimee titled her head sideways, resembling a confused puppy.

"You look surprised."

"Why are you sorry?" she quipped.

Gibbs smiled. He'd struck a chord with her and that gave him some peace of mind.

"Oh, Aims, I've made a lot of mistakes in my life but yesterday with you, I made a doozy."

The little girl looked confused.

Gibbs pointed at the car once again. "C'mon, get in."

"Not until you tell me where we're going."

"It's a surprise."

"I hate surprises."

Gibbs rolled his eyes. "Just get in already." He put his hand on the small of her back and gave her a gentle shove. Aimee groaned but relented, getting into the car. Gibbs quickly checked that the child safety locks were engaged and then he shut the door.

xXxXxX

They drove in silence as Gibbs stared straight ahead, lost in thought and keeping his eyes on traffic. It was reaching sunset and the sky was beautiful as the sun cast brilliant displays of colour across the horizon. Red sky at night; sailors delight, Gibbs thought. It was hard to take the Navy out of him. He wasn't sure where the military started and he ended. The Navy was in his blood. He spied the destination of his choice dead ahead so he signaled and pulled into the driveway.

"Bowling?" questioned Aimee in disbelief. "You brought me bowling?" The tone in her voice held a great deal of surprise. Gibbs smirked congratulating himself on his element of unpredictability. Keeping one step ahead of her was something he knew would serve him well in the years to come.

"Yup." Gibbs parked the car and unlocked the doors. He turned to look at Aimee with a smile on his face. "If you and I are going to get along then we need to get to know one another. I figured we could do that one of many ways and staying home and talking wasn't working so I thought, why not go bowling."

Aimee eyed him suspiciously. "You bowl?"

"I don't but Abby does. She bowls with the nuns every Saturday night when she's not working. She says it's fun. How about we try it and see if she's right?"

"You're weird, Gibbs."

He winked at her and nodded. "Tell me something I don't know."

Aimee shrugged with a smirk and followed him into the bowling lanes.

The place was dead. Abby had told him earlier that pretty much no one bowled on a Sunday night. The place was vacant other than a couple of seniors. Apparently, the owner was an elderly man by the name of Bentley, and the man was deaf as a post. That suited Gibbs just fine as he rented them each a pair of shoes each, and headed towards their lane, shooting a quick text off to Abby telling her where he'd gone. A few seniors and a deaf owner made for a great place for private conversation. Abby was thrilled with his choice and said she couldn't wait to hear all about his impressions of bowling. Gibbs rolled his eyes and shoved his phone back in his pocket. He hadn't come to bowl. He'd come to talk. He'd just needed a neutral ground to do it.

"Ever been bowling before?" he asked as he sat and put on his shoes.

Aimee shook her head. "No."

"Me either. This should be fun."

Gibbs picked up the bowling ball and gave Aimee a short lesson on how to hold the ball and toss it down the aisle. He'd been around long enough to know how to bowl; he'd just never seen any use in doing it himself, not when he could use his spare time more wisely building something out of wood. After a couple of turns, Gibbs bought them some root beers and he sat to watch her toss her ball down the lane. She jumped up and down when her ball knocked down all the pins. The monitor above their heads showed a strike and flashed congratulations.

"Are you sure you've never played before?" he asked with skepticism on his face.

Aimee laughed, her eyes sparkling. "I'm sure."

Gibbs patted her knee and stood to play his turn. He watched the child out of the corner of his eye as he played. Her face was pink with excitement. It was nice to see her so engaged and having fun. He took note; they needed to have more fun. Life had been too serious lately, and it was taxing on everyone. Gibbs' ball rolled down the lane and veered to the left, ending in the gutter.

Aimee gave him a look of sympathy. "Don't worry," she encouraged. "You'll get the next one."

Gibbs grabbed his pop and chugged a few gulps while watching her again. She was a fast learner and seemed inspired to beat him at the game. He admired her competitiveness. Perhaps he should sign her up for some kind of sport. When she returned and sat down, Gibbs smiled at her.

"You, my dear, are a quick study. You're a natural."

"Thanks," she said, taking a drink of her root beer. "Your turn."

Gibbs chuckled and held up his hand. "I think I need a rest for a few. I'm old, remember?" She laughed at him. "Can we take a five-minute break?"

Aimee shrugged and waved her hand like a fan in front of her hot face.

Gibbs smiled at her. "Aims, can I ask you something?'

"Sure."

"Did you run away because I spanked you?"

Aimee's smile melted away and she turned to meet his gaze, tears coming quickly to her eyes at the memory. "It hurt a lot."

Gibbs grimaced and sighed. "I imagine it did."

"I never meant to burn your boat."

"I know, but that's not why I punished you, Aimee."

"Tony told me that."

"He's right. What you did was dangerous, Aims. You used my heat gun without permission, without even knowing how to properly use the tool. You could have set the whole house on fire."

Aimee's eyes filled with tears. "I got scared, Gibbs. You came down to the basement, and I thought you'd catch me. I just forgot about it. I'm really sorry. Please believe me."

Gibbs cupped her face in his hands. "I believe you, Aims. But I need you to know that I spanked you because what you did was dangerous. Just like running away is dangerous. I don't have a whole lot of rules…" He stopped when he saw her look up at him incredulously.

He smirked. "What?"

"You don't have a lot of rules? Really?" she challenged.

"Okay, I do have a lot of rules but the most important one is staying safe. For my team of special agents that translates to things like never be unreachable or never go anywhere without a knife, but for you and Janessa it means don't do anything that will put you in danger. That means don't climb out the window of the treehouse." Aimee squirmed a little. "It means don't go down the basement in my workshop without permission and don't take off on your own at night. Aimee, taking off on your own night or day is very dangerous. I don't know where you are and anything bad could happen to you. I'm your dad and I can't protect you if I don't know where you are. Doing something dangerous is almost always going to end with a trip over my knee. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Aimee chewed her lip as tears slipped down her cheeks. "I thought you hated me…"

Gibbs pulled her chin up with his finger. "Aimee, do you want to know what I think?"

She blinked.

"You lost control of yourself last night. I reacted to your behaviour and spanked you. I messed up. I should have helped you feel safe and for that, I'm sorry. I don't regret what I did, but I do regret not waiting until a more appropriate time, like now for example."

Aimee's eyes widened as she took in his words. She jumped to her feet and took a few steps away from him.

Gibbs smiled at her kindly. "Sit down, kiddo. I brought you here to have a little fun and talk, nothing else."

Aimee looked uncertain. Gibbs reached out and grasped her hand gently, pulling her into an embrace. Aimee didn't fight him and melted into his arms.

"I love you, Aims. I care about you and Janessa. I want you both to be safe and happy. I know things are hard right now and we are still getting to know one another but we're going to get through this. Try to be patient with me; my dad skills are a little rusty, and hey, I'm a marine!"

Aimee rested her head on his shoulder. "Semper Fi," She whispered.

Gibbs pulled her a little closer and kissed the top of her blond head. "Semper Fi."


End file.
